Black Taint
by ivory tear
Summary: Caim and Manah plays the vampire role to prey upon mortal blood in modern London. In order to appease their lady Furiae's sanity and sustain the life which makes them immortal, they must seek out the potential bearer of the Breed...


**Black-taint**

_**Summary:**_

Caim and Manah plays the vampire role to prey upon mortal blood in modern London. In order to appease their Lady Furiae's sanity and to acquire the precious life force that grants them their godly power as vampires, they must seek out the potential bearer of the Breed...

_Fore-notes:_ hello, this is my second fanfiction. I decided not to go on with my planned "simultaneous" publishing of new stories, so there.

_**Author's notes/ Disclaimer:**_

Needless to say, Drakengard is not mine, I'm only a fan of this heart-wrenching game I so love. And no, this is not based on the original story. This is outside the original story plot and has no relation with the game at all except for anything belonging to the characters. I've made up roles and setting for the casts of Drakengard to fill in, and hope they're happy with it.

Hope you will be too! Enjoy reading and tell me what you think. ;)

_xxx _

_There were vampires, yes, but there was a more noble, disciplined kind. Caim, Manah and the other vampires form that kind and serve their lady Furiae. These kind of night dwellers uphold a rule of their own and follow its terms by their life, thus of all the breed of vampires, one might consider them as the highly refined and disciplined. They feed on mortal blood every fortnight to sustain their life and the power which makes them un-dying---this "life force", found in small amounts in chosen individuals, grants them that godly power that makes them vampires. Now the time has come for Manah to replenish that power, and once more Furiae searches in her own psyche the viable one to accommodate Manah's need, as is custom. Together with Caim, her sworn enemy, Manah descends under the light of the moon to seek this potential bearer..._

_xxx_

_**Chapter 1: A bloodstained neck**_

The full moon was at its brightest, showering its surroundings with its pale, eerie glow. Not a soul to be seen, nothing to be heard except the faintest passing of the night breeze. Everywhere, the streets of London lay bathed in deafening silence, all the residents in their beds dreaming of good times ahead, totally unaware of the two figures who emerged from thin air and landed on one of the roofs of the houses which lined that town of Driswood.

It was a man and a young woman. The man was finely built in his rugged get-up of a shabby cloak and plain trench coat, however surrounding a powerful sense of dread. He was once a handsome man with masculine features, but his left eye was blind and a visible scar ran up on his forehead. The young woman on the other hand was graceful and willowy. She had blonde straight hair ending just at her shoulders and her garb of satin fitted tight at her waist and let go to her knees. Yet there was a striking stain spread upon the left side of her neck that when casted in the moon's glow gave off a mark of black that seemed to spread.

The two stood up high one of the buildings with the bright full moon accentuating their figures. The light coming from it did not throw shadows below, and only the gentle chilling wind caressing their clothing was proof that they were living.

"You are certain." the man rasped at the blonde woman at his side. It was not a question but rather a dead-end statement permitting only agreement as an answer.

But the young woman didn't flinch at his side and continued to stare at the horizon, seemingly transfixed at her objective. Her crimson eyes seemed to flare and her face, despite innocent, had a look of madness in it.

"Yes." her mechanical reply came, never leaving her line of sight. And then she stirred; it seems like she had spotted something and was straining to hear. From the Dark Blood flowing through her veins, she had sense enough to distinguish voices coming from afar---distinct and inaudible from a normal man's hearing but not so these two... Especially her. They were coming from a building on the streets below.

_xxx_

"Nowe! You old tramp!!! Try and leave me here alone and I'll have your neck! ---I swear!!" the woman with the white uniform screamed in frustration.

The man called Nowe came from behind her and shrugged indifferently, already being immune to her episodes of ranting.

"Eris, you should learn how to handle that..." he said almost as if lecturing her. He was ignorant to the fact that he actually had enough nerve to say such things. The woman named Eris visibly frowned, only to be further ignored by the young man as he yawned openly and continued on:

"...Your profession calls for you to be skillful--and brave in these cases. If you don't steel yourself---"

Eris cut him short, "Nowe! You...You're lecturing me?" she stared at him half-unbelieving. She couldn't believe the nerve of this man!

"Ah... Is that what I'm doing?" Nowe asked, perfectly naive in his tone.

She managed to at least bark a little sarcastic laugh, more a spiteful one. "Hah! You-don't-KNOW..?" her tone had increased its usual pitch and her face was turning a lighter shade of red.

The other further shook his head no, seemingly innocent. It was as if his mind was wandering somewhere not here. "What is?" he stopped. The hovering feeling finally struck him. His eyes darted to the open door leading outside as if he sensed that it was coming off from outside.

"Look Eris. I'll be back---" he considered on his hasty speech, and then added, "You can strike me later. But right now I must find that---" he sprinted for the door.

"NOWE! You DARE go away you horrid poop!!" she screamed but he was already past gone out. She threw her frustration on the cadaver in front of her and beated at it with her hand. It was a horror of a pale thing under the glare of the light from that dissecting room, its insides hanging out like pieces of meat after Eris examination.

"Hateful..." she muttered under her breath and tried to focus her attention to the corpse. This was the most peculiar thing of all she had postmortem. It suggested something she was not quite not ready yet to found out for herself and yet, it was there... The evidence was all there.

_"Bite marks... this looks very indicative of vampire mark--"_ she touched the two puncture wounds on the neck with her gloved finger, and made a second thought.

_"It must be... and yet---am I ready to trade my beliefs over this one evidence? To think... this is the second case... There will probably be more..."_ she stopped dead, shivers broke up her body. For a moment she lay there somewhat freezing; some grim premonition assailed her. What could it be? Other than being stuck with the most dull corpse in the world, she had a distinct feeling of Nowe being involved...

_xxx_

Meanwhile, Nowe feels that far away feeling of being watched... and expected. It was like someone was behind him all the time calling out his name in that ghostly yet demurring way that stirs something within. The feeling was growing stronger by the minute and nothing he did ever shaked it off his mind.

His watch claimed it was 3:02 am.

_"Past bedtime already..." _he thought abruptly.

Nowe let himself wander into the streets, its stones seemingly colored gold by light coming from the posts, throwing off silhouettes here and there that helped to his imagination of fear. The fog somehow had descended low over the streets while he was gone inside and he couldn't help but shiver... It somehow looked like that blanket of white air concealed some sort of hole or pit and he'd fall endlessly, unknowingly. But the nagging feeling of being watched stuck on the back of his mind and he was determined to find out its source.

His stomach was growling its cry of hunger. He was here out in the cold and damp, alone and scared enough to wince at every sound, and he thought just whose fault was that. Of course he knew, but it wasn't as if he was filled with bitter spite because of it.

Eris had another corpse to examine and she insisted that he come along with her. Something about the "freakiness" of the situation she had said, and wouldn't stop nagging him until he gave in with a sour face. None of that really mattered, since he was pretty much the lenient, kind guy who'd be understanding and help anyone any time of the day. But it was different with his childhood friend Eris, who from the time when they laid their sight on each other and on, she was the one who bosses him around and grumbles and nurtures him like a meticulous mother.

And as he walked down the streets, he thought of just how strange it was, after all.

_"Eris seemed pretty scared about it, even asked me to come along with her... This is the first time that she actually asked me anything so serious..." _he stopped to think of it. From behind came a little tap sound to which he didn't noticed.

_"Vampires she had said. At this time and age!" _he smiled a bit to himself, finding it ridiculous. _"But the possibility couldn't be denied---in fairytales!" _to this thought he finally let out a little laugh, unable to contain himself.

The little tap sound from behind grew loud enough to startle him. Nowe jumped at the sound and stopped short. Goosebumps suddenly erupted all over his rigid body, as a chilling thought occurred to him... It was as if some trick of fate proved his current thoughts that he was _wrong... _and now...

"Who's there?" he whispered hoarsely, at the same time whirled fast behind him. His breath was coming off in narrow passages, he felt suddenly. And then it came out off him in easy relief when he saw from the corner the tail of a cat disappearing into a nearby alley.

"Huh, a cat... Silly thoughts..." he said to himself, "I must stop this or it'll lead me nowhere---"

A quick movement from behind him stole all his latter precaution and came as a swift touch on his nape. The instant the skillful finger of Manah's held the nerve, Nowe fell down to the ground, unconscious.

The two vampires Manah and Caim watched over his still body. There was no spark of softness on neither of them; Caim's stark eyes nonetheless alert as he waited for his partner's move to take what needs to be taken.

But there was something else Manah saw...

--she saw something that touched a string of her heart and of which bind her the very movement---the _will_ to do it. His very presence was a manifestation of the sudden feeling which gripped her.

It was pity.

For the very first time in her existence as an un-dead, she knew what it felt like.

"Finish him!" Caim's rasped voice demanded her to move. He was unable to stand seeing her lying like a molten candle before this mortal, somewhat hesitating in what would have been routine procedure some weeks ago. He was starting to see something in her eyes that he didn't like.

Manah looked unsure how to proceed still. Something weighs heavy on her immortal soul and cannot be lifted even by the hatred of her once-foe. She stood perfectly still, not trusting herself to move. Nothing could kill the feeling that was hindering her from taking the life force of this man... This man who was handsome but looked the same as the rest of them.

"I..cannot." the words came out of her mouth forcibly, for try as she might she was powerless to do anything to him.

Caim took one look at her and in a moment he knew what was holding her back.

"You prefer this weakling of a mortal over our lady Furiae's wrath?" his tone was imposing and challenged her.

She said nothing.

Caim felt his anger building up. Her mere silence irritated him; to think that she was proving his doubts right, that she is actually feeling weakness over this pathetic human! It was a shame to their own creed and race. It was beyond words, and to which he does not tolerate. He will have to do what she can't then.

"Move aside!" a voice from behind Manah commanded with perfect fury that was unmistakably belonging to Caim. She felt alarmed; he was going to do it. This man lying on the ground, with his delicate features that strongly reminded her of someone and would not ease her feeling of pity... He will be mutilated if she doesn't do something to stop Caim. Rather he fell into her hands than him..

Manah laid a restraining hand on Caim and said in a steady voice, "Don't. You touch him and I'll have you answer... I'll do it myself."

She glided over to Nowe's place, almost surreal in the light of the moon and gave the feel of the unreality of the situation, as if in a dream.

She was forced to kill him after all.

The black stain on her neck was more prominent as the moonlight was behind her; it was somewhat glowing eeriely and made her look even more voluptuous than she already was, if not more murderous. The strange stain was trailing off in curls like a tattoo, originating from her neck down to her bosom, but she didn't give any concern. There was a resigned, pained look on her face as she cradled Nowe's head on her lap and knelt lower to his head down to his neck... lower... until her wam, supple lips touched the left side of his neck, and prepared for a bite.

_"Farewell... Nowe."_

Manah remained in that position, moving back and forth slightly as she drew blood. Caim stood by her side, a satisfied look on his face. Now there was no need for concern. Furiae need not have a reason to lose her sanity.

Then abruptly, as the act was coming to a close, a woman's voice called out a name from afar. Immediately, Caim made a grab for Manah's arm and roughly pulled her away.

"Enough! We go now!" he rasped.

Manah did not comply readily; she had a look of weakness glazed over her eyes, as if she looked drowsy. Blood was scattered from her chin and mouth in a grisly manner, giving her a look of a drunk woman who just ate more than her stomach can take. She swayed unsteadily on his grip, and Caim had to hold her by the shoulders not to make her lose her footing. She felt strangely weak very unlike the vampire trait of being full of energy, he later thought as he held her pale body close to his and, with a whirl of his crimson cape over them, they disappeared into nothingness.

_xxx_

"Nowe!!" A woman's voice called from the postmortem building, a few blocks away from what took place. It was Eris.

"_He's being absolutely rude now... Where has he gone to?" _she thought annoyingly as she scanned the surroundings outside the building. She called out again; no answer.

A feeling most unpleasant told her intuition that she may have been right... But she feared it. What could've gone wrong? Dawn was soon to come, it would yet be some time till anyone was seen walking on these deserted streets, she thought.

She knew Nowe; he wouldn't play games with her when she was this worried, and it was his custom, though brave as he was, to be careful at anything.

So maybe he strayed off somewhere and fell asleep, then and there.

_"Great thinking! Alright, now let's find him." _Eris tried to reassure herself despite her growing fears. Nowe was fine, maybe he got bored and went home ahead of her... Maybe he became quite mad at her and left without a word... Maybe he fell asleep right in the middle and never woke up---

Maybe.

Cleaning up the last of the mess inside the room and herself, Eris stored the corpse in the cold storage, locked the door and went out. She wandered into the streets, taking the path he would most likely take. The fog was still lying low over the cobblestones of the street but her footing was sure and with certainty. Several times she called out his name to no avail. The distraught woman was about to give up when from afar she saw, and her breathing suddenly constricted; a figure was lying under the luminous glare of the light of the lamp post...

She drew closer, afraid yet desperate. And then before long, Nowe's features became recognizable and proved no mistake. He was there, seemingly sleeping... There was something black on his neck---something that looked like liquid...

"Nowe!" Eris cried and rushed over to him with escalating panic. She immediately scrambled by his side and nearly wailed aloud as she saw blood scattered on the left side of his neck.

Eris shook him awake, forcing him to open his eyes. When he proved unconscious, she steadied her mind enough to check his pulse... With two of her forefingers, she placed it on left side of his neck. It was beating moderately against her finger. He was alive.

She rejoiced and a new hope lit up for her. He was going to live! But something bothered Eris that she had to take a look at first... It was that wound on his neck, with all the blood scattered all over, drenching his the side of his shirt. There was quite a lot of blood on his neck , and yet it did not pour out continuously, as should be if the wound has an artery ruptured.

Taking out her hankerchief, she carefully wiped out the blood on his neck. After some time, his neck was slightly clean and the blood was gone.

There was no wound.

_.xlend of chapter onelx._

A/N: this story I made long ago it's been gathering up dust on my old notebook where I wrote it. I refined it a little bit and made it better. :D So please review and tell me what you think. OK! XD


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